Bitcoin may be the top dog in price, but when it comes to real-world user adoption, it’s not even in the top two. New data shows that Ethereum and Dogecoin are leaving BTC in the dust when it comes to the number of wallets — and that says a lot about how crypto is actually being used in 2025.
Let’s break the myth right now: Bitcoin ≠ Most Held Coin
According to Santiment, here’s how the numbers stack up:
That’s nearly 3x more wallets for ETH. Why? Because Ethereum powers everything — DeFi, NFTs, layer 2s, memecoins, you name it. If you’ve ever paid gas, minted a JPEG, or staked a token, chances are you needed an ETH wallet.
Coming in hot at #3:
That’s more than Tether, more than XRP, and way more than Cardano. DOGE may be a joke, but nearly 8 million wallets holding it is no punchline.
Other honorable mentions:
Let’s be real: One person = many wallets. But even with that caveat, wallet numbers are a solid proxy for:
Bitcoin may be the ultimate store of value, but it’s Ethereum and friends that are powering the on-chain lifestyle — dApps, DAOs, NFTs, yield farming, AI agents, and more.
This bull run isn’t just about “number go up.” It’s about which chains are being used — and how often. The rise of wallet numbers shows that:
Bitcoin is valuable. Ethereum is used. The wallets don’t lie.
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